Torah. “This person,” he said, pointing to the drunken chassid, “has just displayed tremendous mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice). He sacrificed his Yom Kippur experience to save a Jewish family. But he did not give up Yom Kippur; he sprang over it. His self-sacrifice enabled him to bypass all the intermediate levels and reach the level of Simchas

there is no way that G-d will allow something to happen that is not for the good.

Various times are designated for this: daily — at the end of the day before going to bed; weekly — towards the end of the week, on Thursday night; monthly — on the last day of the month, which is known as Yom Kippur Katan, “a miniature Yom Kippur”; and yearly — at the end of the year, throughout the month of Elul.

Everyone has a magnitude of weight that he can lift under ordinary circumstances.

In the Tanya,39 the Alter Rebbe says that one should push away the undesirable thought with both hands. Implicit in his words is that there are two possibilities: pushing away a thought with one hand, and pushing away a thought with two hands.

there are two ways of functioning. One way is to focus on what I am doing; the task in front of me. And the other is to focus on the fact that I am doing it, to see myself more than the task I have to perform.

The Rambam clearly spells out this concept, writing:49 The happiness with which a person should rejoice in the fulfillment of the mitzvos and the love of G-d... is a great service.... There is no greatness or honor other than celebrating before G-d.

A yesh, a person preoccupied with himself, is motivated by his ego. This is what pushes him forward throughout the day. In contrast, a person who is buttel, selfless, is focused on the goals he seeks to accomplish.

When we are b’simchah, in both a physical and spiritual way, we bring joy to ourselves, our families, and all the people around us.